AMD Launches Worldwide 'AMD Assured' Motherboard Program to Simplify Design Process for PC System Builders

Gigabyte, Micro-Star motherboards first to qualify for the testing program

PHOENIX, AZ -- 9/25/2000 -- AMD today announced a new worldwide program designed to help ensure availability of reliable, high quality motherboards for AMD Athlon™ and AMD Duron™ processor-based computers.

The AMD Assured Program, formally announced at the Fall System Builder Summit in Phoenix, Arizona, is intended to help builders of AMD Athlon™ and AMD Duron™ processor-based systems identify motherboards which have passed AMD's testing criteria.

Under the program, motherboards must pass extensive elesctrical and compatibility testing. In addition, the motherboard manufacturer must agree to maintain a reasonable supply of the approved boards. Once they have passed the program tests, program-approved motherboards will qualify only so long as the board's design or components are not altered. If the motherboard manufacturer makes such changes, the board must be resubmitted to AMD for evaluation and such additional testing as AMD deems appropriate in order to continue to be designated as a program-qualified board.

"The AMD Assured program is another example of AMD working with its customers and partners to bring about a complete, stable PC platform," said David Somo, AMD vice president of marketing. "With this new program, system builders and VARs can build AMD Athlon™ and AMD Duron™ processor-based systems with the confidence that they are using quality motherboards that meet the testing standards specified by the AMD Assured program."

The AMD Assured Program is open to motherboard manufacturers around the world. To date, motherboard manufacturers Gigabyte Technology and MSI Inc. have each qualified a motherboard for the AMD Assured Program. Each motherboard that is qualified through the AMD Assured Program will receive a specific AMD Assured model number.

The AMD Assured program is an extension of AMD's current practice of verifying and recommending a collection of motherboards for use with its diverse family of microprocessors. (For a list of recommended motherboards for AMD processors, please go to http://www.amd.com/reseller/reseller.html). AMD plans to continue recommending motherboards in addition to operating the AMD Assured program.

The AMD Assured program's electrical and compatibility testing is extensive, and includes EMI scanning and standard benchmarking. Each board is tested to the Microsoft® WHQL and Novell standards, and must pass tests on a variety of standard corporate suites including Microsoft® Office 2000 and Corel Office 2000, as well as operating system testing on Microsoft Windows® 98, Windows NT®, Windows 2000, Santa Cruz Operation (SCO), Unix, Linux, Solaris and BeOS. In the future, AMD may perform additional testing on applications such as AutoDesk, AutoCAD 2000, Adobe PhotoShop 5.5, Adobe Illustrator 8, Visual C++ 6.0, Visual Basic 6.0 and Borland Turbo C++.

"Gigabyte is proud to be one of the original participants in the AMD Assured Program," said Jack Ko, Gigabyte vice president of Worldwide Sales & Marketing. "By submitting our motherboards to AMD for testing, we are showing our commitment to providing the market with reliable, compatible and readily available motherboards."

"We think AMD is doing the right thing by undertaking a program to raise standards for motherboards used in AMD processor-based systems," Calvin Wu, president of MSI Computer Corp. "With our AMD Assured program-qualified motherboard, system builders can build MSI motherboard-based systems with confidence knowing that they have passed AMD's rigorous testing procedures."

For more information about the AMD Assured Program, including a list of motherboards that have met the "AMD Assured" program requirements, please go to http://www.amd.com/reseller/assured/index.html.

About System Builder Summit
System Builder Summit Fall 2000 takes place September 24-27, 2000, at The Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a three-day forum where 200 of the top revenue producers in the system builder channel meet in a variety of venues with more than 100 technology vendors, international distributors and service providers.

Visit AMD on the Web
For more information about the AMD Athlon™ and AMD Duron™ processors, please visit our virtual pressroom at http://www.amd.com/news/virtualpress/index.html.